CPAR Uganda Ltd (CPAR) conducted a qualitative investigation in to pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in Uganda, from 2016 to 2017, as part of the “Tuberculosis: Working to Empower The Nations Diagnostic Efforts (TWENDE)” research and advocacy project that was funded by the EDCTP under its second programme, EDCTP2, that was funded by Horizon 2020 European Union funding for research innovation.

CPAR Uganda Ltd (CPAR) conducted a qualitative investigation in to pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in Uganda, from 2016 to 2017, as part of the “Tuberculosis: Working to Empower The Nations Diagnostic Efforts (TWENDE)” research and advocacy project that was funded by the EDCTP under its second programme, EDCTP2, that was funded by Horizon 2020 European Union funding for research innovation.

CPAR Uganda Ltd (CPAR) conducted a qualitative investigation in to pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in Uganda, from 2016 to 2017, as part of the “Tuberculosis: Working to Empower The Nations Diagnostic Efforts (TWENDE)” research and advocacy project that was funded by the EDCTP under its second programme, EDCTP2, that was funded by Horizon 2020 European Union funding for research innovation.

This briefing which is based on a second level analysis of the CPAR TWENDE qualitative data set for the greater northern Uganda is the sixth in a series of briefings through which CPAR is sharing its findings. It contains the findings for only one aspect – management of PTB diagnostics in greater northern Uganda, covering:

This is the fifth in a series of briefings through which CPAR Uganda Ltd (CPAR) is sharing findings of its qualitative investigation in to tuberculosis (TB) in Uganda. CPAR conducted its investigation from 2016 to 2017 as part of the “Tuberculosis: Working to Empower The Nations Diagnostic Efforts (TWENDE)” research and advocacy project that was funded by the EDCTP under its second programme, EDCTP2, that was funded by Horizon 2020 European Union funding for research innovation.

"To support the Uganda Stop TB Partnership, Ministry of Health and UNOPS in the campaign to end tuberculosis in Uganda is a big responsibility that me and many Ugandans should embark on to save lives that are lost each passing day because of this killer disease.”

“Stigmatisation is somebody trying to live an isolated life, because he thinks he is now not worth in the community. Some people will even go to the extent of committing suicide, because he thinks there is no hope in his living.”

“When someone reaches that point where they feel like they are no longer accepted within the society, this is what I will call social fear in somebody. He needs social psychological support. They need counselling so much.”

This is the third in a series of briefings on research findings that CPAR Uganda Ltd (CPAR) is publishing in order to share the findings of its empirical qualitative investigation in to pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in Uganda.

CPAR’s briefing number three contains an analysis of its findings on availability and accessibility of PTB treatment drugs in the greater northern region of Uganda, including: Karamoja, Lango, Acholi and West Nile sub-regions. And it is also contains an analysis of CPAR’s findings on the completion rates of PTB treatment in the greater northern Uganda.

CPAR conducted its qualitative investigation into TB in Uganda as part of the TWENDE research and advocacy project that was funded by the EDCTP, under its second programme, EDCTP2, that was funded by Horizon 2020 European Union Funding for Research and innovations.

The full PDF of the brief is available to download here, free of charge.

Aside from one respondent who asserted that “people quickly see that that one has TB or not”, the quote which opens this briefing exemplifies the general feeling among respondents in a CPAR Uganda Ltd (CPAR) qualitative investigation into pulmonary TB (PTB) that there is insufficient understanding of PTB generally among communities in the greater northern region of Uganda; a region which includes: Karamoja, Lango, Acholi and West Nile sub-regions.

“For me I had tuberculosis (TB) and I was not even suspecting it. You know in this lifestyle of ours and also smoking. I would think that may be this cough is coming on and off. Sometimes there would be general body weakness, you are down, and you are coughing. Until I went for that diagnosis is when I was able to realise that it was TB. It is not simple for someone to stand up and say: “I think I must be having TB.” - TB Survivor, Respondent CPAR Uganda Ltd Investigation, Greater Northern Region

CPAR Uganda Ltd (CPAR) conducted an in-depth qualitative investigation into pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in Uganda from January 2016 to December 2017. CPAR has authored the first in a series of findings reports that it is authoring in order to share its findings of its investigation into PB.

In its first report, CPAR shares its findings only for the greater northern region of Uganda. The findings shared in its first report are based on the first level analysis of the CPAR data set for the greater northern region; an analysis that focused the data; simplified it and organised it in a manner that allowed a bottom-up analytical framework to emerge.